F Decree I. Orafmuch as hitherto there has been no use, nor fo much as Knowledge of the Holy Sacrament of Confirmation among the Chriftians of this Bishoprick, the Heretical Prelates that governed it, having neglected to feed the People in a great many cafes with wholfome Catholick Food; therefore the Synod doth declare, That all Persons who are come to the use of reason, ought to receive this Holy Sacrament, having the opportunity of receiving it at the hands of a Bishop, and that all Mafters of Families, and others having the Charge of Children, are in Duty bound to command their Children and Slaves to receive the said Sacrament, and that all who out of contumacy or contempt fhall refufe to receive it, or to order fuch as belong to them to go to it, are guilty of a Mortal Sin, and if they neglect it out of a conceit of it's not being a Sacrament, they are Hereticks and Aliens from the true Catholick Faith; wherefore the Synod doth command, that in the Vifitation that is to be made speedily by the most Illuftrious Metropolitan in the Churches of this Bishoprick, all Ment and Women that are above feven years old do come to be Chriften'd or Confirmed, thofe only excepted who were confirmed by the faid Lord in his former Vifitation, or at fome other, or on fome other occafion, by fome other Bishop; this Sacrament as well as that of Baptifm being neP 3 ver ver to be repeated, in fo much, that all that receive it a fecond time wittingly, are guilty of a great piece of Sacrilege, befides, that they receive no Sacrament thereby: But in cafe any are doubtful whether they have ever been confirmed or not, or fhould not remember that they were ever, they fhall declare fo much to the faid Lord, or to the Bishop that is to confirm them, that they may order the matter according to the merit of their doubts: But if any, which God forbid, fhould facrilegioully and obftinately defpife the faid Sacrament, it being proved upon them, they shall be declared Excommunicate until fuch time as they have done condign Penance, and shall be punished at the pleasure of the Prelate. Decree II. He Synod, to its great forrow, having been that Τ informed, that fome ignorant Perfons in Sacred Matters and the Doctrine of the Holy Sacraments of the Church, being inftigated by the Devil to perfift in their cursed Schifm, did in feveral places refift the most Illuftrious Metropolitan in his former Vifitation of these Churches, fo far as not only to refuse to receive the Holy Sacrament of Confirmation from him, but did alfo oppofe him publickly in the Churches, and that many did abfent themselves, fome whereof excused then felyes by pretending, that it was an unneceffary thing,and that they had never feen nor heard heard of it before, and others that they fhould be affronted by the Holy Ceremony of the Prelates touching their Cheek, fcurrilously upbraiding those that had received it, with base provoking words, telling them that they had fuffer'd themfelves to be affronted and buffeted, with other fuch Sacrilegious Expreflions, full of Infidelity and Herefy, arifing from the Schifin wherein they have been brought up: Whole Towns confpiring together fo far in this Mutiny, that the defpifing or receiving this Holy Sacrament, became the Teft of their obedience or difobedience to the faid Metropolitan, doth therefore (notwithstanding it knows they have all in common, and every one in particular repented of this, and being fenfible of the greatnes of the error they committed therein, have beg'd pardon for it, and upon their having confefs'd their Ignorance, have been graciously received by the faid Lord Metropolitan, and having fubmitted themselves to the obedience of the Holy Roman Church, are ready to do all that thall be enjoyned them, to prevent the life however, that none for the time coming may commit the like faults or Sacrileges) command, That if any (which God forbid) fhall dare to do or fay any fuch thing against this Sacrament or the Holy Ceremonies and Rites wherewith it is adminiftred to the Faithful, that they be declared Excommunicate, and be feparated from the Church and the Communion of the Faithful, until fuch time as they . have undergone condign Penance at the pleaP4 fure fure of the Prelate, and shall demonstrate their due fubjection to the obedience of the Holy Church, and have taken the Oath of the Faith contained in this Synod, and declared that all. that reject and defpife the Rites and Ceremonies approved of, and received in the Church, in the folemn administration of this and the other Sacraments, are Hereticks and Apoftates from our Holy Catholick Faith, as was determin'd in the Holy Council of Trent, and ought to be proceeded against and punished as fuch, according to the Sacred Canons. Decree III. T 'He Synod doth declare, That in the Sacrament of Confirmation or Chrifm,there must be a'Godfather and Godmother as well as in Baptifm, to present such as are to be Confirmed according to the ancient Custom of Holy Mother Church, but there shall be but only one Godfather and Godmother," who must themselves have been Confirmed; it being very indecent, that any Perfon fhould prefent one to have that done to him, which they have not had done to themselves; and that the Man fhall be above 14, and the Woman above 12 Years Old, or one of them at least shall be of that Age; and in this Cafe the Godfathers and Godmothers do contract the fame Spiritual Affinities and the fame Impediments that the others do in Baptifm, the faid Spiritual Affi nity being equally contracted in both these Sacraments. ACTI ACTION V. Of the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharift, and of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The Doctrine of the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist. TH 'He third Sacrament in the Order of the Spiritual Life, is the Holy Eucharift, tho' in Veneration, Sanctity and Dignity, it is the first and most excellent, for containing in it the true, real and fubftantial Body and Blood, together with the Soul and Divinity of our Lord Jefus Chrift, the Son of God, true God, and true Man, our Saviour and Redeemer; which was inftituted by him the day before he fuffer'd for us, as the most sweet Remate, or Conclufion of all his Works, and a Memorial of his Paffion, the fulfilling of all the ancient Figures, the greatest of all the Miracles that ever he wrought, and for the fingular Confolation of the Faithful in his abfence. The Matter of this Sacrament is Bread of Wheat, and Wine of the Grape only; fo that all that Confecrate in Bread made of Rice, or of any thing else but the Flower of Wheat, or of Wine that was not preffed out of the ripe Grape of the Vine do not make the Sacrament; there muft alfo be Water mixed with the Wine before it is Confecrated, but in a much smaller quantity than the Wine, that so it may easily turn it felf into Wine before the Con * Turn.] For Water to turn it self into Wine, is as great a Miracle as for the Priest to turn fecration: |